Become My Blade: Resurgence
by UltraInstinctBot
Summary: After his sisters are transformed into weapons and scattered across the world, it's up to Lincoln to recover them and return them to normal. (REWORK)
1. One Lost Soul

**A/N: Yeah so if you're new to this story, I think I've written it twice and then quit so here we are again. Not much will have changed with the first one but I'll make sure to not drag out things or have too many plot holes. Now that I'm back I feel like I have the energy to do this again. Also if you're reading this then it has been updated and if you've already read the original you can skip the first few chapters.**

* * *

The night had reached it's peak as the moon broke through the clouds and illuminated the ground below in it's translucent rays. The small gust of wind that passed through rustled the leaves of the forest trees and detached a handful of them from their branches. The assortment of twigs and leaves that littered the ground plentifully had been broken underfoot a small and nimble shadow. Said shadow continued their sprint eventually reaching the entryway of a small town. It's resident's having been either asleep or preparing for sleep and the only light source available being the one's that laced the streets. Approaching the facade of a large building the shadow stood still. This was their main residence, a once pristine and prestigious place left in a state of decay leaving nothing but a hollow shell of it's former self.

The bricks that were once neatly stacked and tended to had become loose and unstable crumbling under the weight of others. Foliage had taken refuge in the crevices of it and showed no sign of dying any time soon. Sighing, the figure scurried to the side of the building and like a master artfully scaled it, as they had hundreds of times before. The window open they carefully slipped in from below making sure to not make a sound. Each step the floorboard dipped under their weight but insisted on not creaking until finally they reached their room.

"Safe!" they whispered

Well... almost anyway. A certain someone had been awake for the good of two hours awaiting his return and finally caught him. The blinding lights flashed on in less than a second revealing a young woman sitting on a chair, her legs crossed at the knee and her arms folded against her ample bosom. Wearing a light blue dress, a pair of glasses, and a very pragmatic hairstyle she awaited a response. Realizing she was probably not going to receive one she decided to speak up first.

"Where have you been, Lincoln?" she asked with a hint of concern and a lot of agitation

Lincoln sighed yet again and looked her in the eyes, Anna Fatima, the den mother of the orphanage he resided. If you saw her you wouldn't be able to tell by her appearance but she was much younger than she looked. Only being around thirty due to stress and other ailments she could be said to look forty or maybe even older. Once again she waited for a response and just like before it never came.

"For the hundredth, thousandth, millionth time... there is a curfew. If you don't like our rules you are more than welcome to leave." she said

While she spoke this way she did so only out of compassion and understanding, she didn't want him to put himself into needless danger. After that horrible incident that occurred three years prior, Lincoln arrived at the doorstep, broken, afraid, and violent. He needed twenty-four/seven surveillance seeming to be unstable and a threat to everyone... and that included himself as well. While his situation had slowly improved remnants of the past still lingered and haunted him, breaking through on occasion. She took another look at him, his eyes looked cold, devoid of any feeling or emotion. It was like he wasn't even human anymore... just a husk, a shell... empty.

"I'm sorry Miss Fatima. I promise that it will never happen again." he said

That one phrase had seemingly become his mantra over the past few weeks. He never stuck by it and she had a feeling he never intended to either.

"Listen, I'm only saying these things because I care. I understand that you're troubled and that you need help, there are still plenty of people willing to do so... don't forget that." she reminded

He didn't respond and instead looked away, Anna sent him off to bed shortly after. She walked out into the dimly lit hallway and slowly rubbed circles into her temples out of frustration. What was she going to do about him? None of the other children wanted to associate with him and for a long time they seemed to be afraid of him. Afraid he would lash out and hurt them, afraid... Making her way to her chambers she prayed, kneeling by her bedside that tomorrow would be better and that all this would seem like a distant nightmare. In his room Lincoln laid face down into his pillow with nothing but the chirping of crickets to distract him. Rolling onto his back he draped his left arm over his eyes and groaned. It was like this every night, not the thing with Anna but just this overwhelming sense of helplessness.

Whenever he would close his eyes to sleep all he could imagine would be the tormented images of his past. The anguish and pain that his family felt as they were subject to a fate worse than death. He had witnessed first hand what they were to become, the essence of their lives constructed into tools of anarchy and mass destruction. His parents did all they could to keep their children from being wielded by the demon army, but at the cost of their own lives. Scattered across the world with no one to hear their pleas, their cries for help. Why us... why them? It wasn't fair... it just wasn't. Hot tears welled in his eyes as he blinked them away. For around ten minutes he lay there eventually falling into a light and fitful sleep that had somehow lasted till morning.

* * *

"Lincoln? Lincoln, wake up it's morning. You don't play on sleeping in all day do you?"

Lincoln slowly opened his eyes and was met with the face of his best friend, Clyde McBride. Clyde didn't live in the orphanage, instead he lived with his two fathers down the road a ways. But with Clyde being Clyde he made sure to make constant visits and check up on him. Lincoln always appreciated the sentiment whenever he stopped by, it was comforting to say the least.

"G'morning." Lincoln replied

The two of them exited Lincoln's room and continued down the hall, down the stairs, and into the dining hall. Although he had been here for years it never ceased to amaze him how large this building actually was. From the second floor which all the bedrooms were at, and the first floor with the main common area. Looking around Lincoln took notice to the influx of kids, victims of bandit raids, monster attacks, poverty, and just about everything in between. Soon enough there wouldn't be room for everyone and they'd have to stop accepting children. It was a mystery to how they stayed in the green for funding anyway. Lincoln made his way down the aisle and grabbed an assortment of breakfast foods. He returned to the spot where he usually ate and let out a puff of air through his noise. "Empty... as usual."

"You okay? You seemed stressed." Clyde said

Lincoln shoveled a spoonful of eggs, bacon, and just about everything else into his mouth before he spoke.

"I'm fine, just a little tired." he shrugged

"Well if you ever need anything then you can always come to me." Clyde said

Lincoln flashed a wan smile and continued to eat before reaching into his pocket and removing a small slightly torn piece of paper, it looked like it had been ripped straight from a book. He found it one day in the forest on one of his many excursions and read it over and over, his heart swelling with hope every time he did. If what was written on here was true then this could be the big break he had been searching for all these years. Finishing his food he waved goodbye to Clyde and got up to throw away his plate. Afterwards he went to the door were he was promptly stopped by Miss Fatima.

"And just where do you think _you're _going?" she asked pointedly

"Outside." he said nonchalantly

"Hmm, well if I recall correctly, the last time you went "outside" you didn't return until well after midnight." she reminded

Lincoln chuckled in an attempt to lighten the mood but noticed her unwavering scowl and frown. He coughed and hurried to think of something not taking into account that she might not accept anything at all. He opened his mouth to speak but she hurriedly cut him off and made him an offer. She would give him one more chance, if he was late one more time she would have no choice but to kick him out. Without hesitation he accepted and dashed through the doors as Anna stood behind and watched him. She only made that compromise to scare him into staying. A child with nowhere else to go wouldn't take a risk like this but as he's proven over and over again... he wasn't an ordinary child.

"That boy is going to take years off of my life." she said shaking her head

Outside, Lincoln had began walking down the stone paved road on his way into the large forest. He looked down at the piece of paper one more time, it looked like it was a part of a journal or maybe a document. With a small hand drawn map at the bottom leading towards a cave that he had never even seen before, a warning had been plastered on this page as well. He continued to look up and then back to the paper making sure he didn't lose his way.

"So there should be something around here right? I guess I'll know when I see it." he said

Lincoln was never the type of person to hopelessly raise expectations but whenever something involved his sisters and where they might be he couldn't help but feel that way. All the rising and falling of his emotions took a toll on him and the hope that had been with him had continuously been beaten down, battered, and wrecked beyond repair. Nevertheless here he was continuing his journey onward until he eventually arrived at what he assumed to be the place marked on the map. A deep dark cave encased in a menacing aura that made his nerves scream to turn around and never look back. Instead he took a deep breath and walked through the small entrance, his steps were shaky and unsure, his breathing baited. He shook away any thoughts of fear and reluctance until he found it a little too dark to see.

"Maybe I should've thought this through more." he said finally realizing his fatal mistake

When he finally decided to turn around and make better preparations he felt the ground below him shift beneath his weight. Being unable to react quick enough he fell to a lower level as the floor collapsed under him, sliding down a slope and face planting into the dirt.

"Great. Now where am I?" he asked rubbing his head

The level below was understandably darker than the one above leaving Lincoln in the eternal abyss deep in the cave. He felt around his sides looking for a wall in a desperate attempt to not lose himself completely and hopefully get a grasp on his location. If he screamed as loud as he possibly could manage would anyone be able to hear him? Lincoln thought for a second and then let out a humorless chuckle, this situation grossly resembled what each of his sisters must be going through, a silent plea reverberating through the air only to be silent to the rest of the world.

"H-Help me.' a faint voice whispered

Lincoln lost in his subconscious had been blasted back to reality at the sound of another voice. What... who was that? It wasn't until it repeated itself that he could recognize it, speaker louder and louder each time growing more and more needy. He clung to the wall and slowly inched forward wary of any and everything. His efforts had soon paid off as a strangely large amount of light shone through, following it he reached a large area that looked greatly out of place. A small body of water that resembled a lake stood still with a stone platform in it's center, a thin wooden bridge connecting the two masses of land. A small torch with a flickering light resided beside a stone pedestal, what was plunged into it made Lincoln's heart skip a beat.

"Is this reality? I- I really can't believe it." he said his voice welling with emotion

He wasted no time in crossing the bridge and at the distance he was at it was obvious to tell what he was staring at. A charcoal black blade with a quality leather tied around a metal hilt, the same symbol on it that had been branded on him. A crimson snake consuming it's tail in the pattern of infinity, the Ouroboros. The sword gleamed bright despite the finite amount of light on it's surface.

"You were the one I heard. There's no doubt about it." he said fondly

"You can hear me? W-Who are you?" they asked

He smiled and wiped tears of joy away from his eyes. This voice he'd recognize anywhere, even after all these years he never forgot it. It belong to his second oldest sister, the most compassionate and charismatic person he knew, Leni.

"It's me Leni... It's Lincoln." he said

"L-Lincy? I can't believe it... you sound so different." she noticed

"I got older. It's been so long, too long."

Lincoln couldn't believe it himself, after these grueling three years apart he was able to reunite with one of his sisters. It wasn't just some stupid fantasy or a pipe dream. Now he truly thought that he could save them all, but before that he'd have to find a way to exit this cave. Noticing the abrupt silence Leni chimed in asking if he was alright failing to worry about herself despite their situation.

"I'm fine but I should be worrying about you instead. After all this time alone... it must've been difficult." he said somberly

He said that as a means to sympathize but would never truly understand how she felt all these years trapped down here. Grabbing the torch beside him he turned around and returned the way he came. With the extra source of light it would become a lot easier to see and navigate the cave. He gently held Leni in his right hand and the torch in his left as he walked forward deeper into the cave in search of an exit. They continued forward until they reached a fork in the road, er... cave.

"Well I guess the only way out is through one of those." he said

"I think the left one seems fine. Let's go that way." Leni advised confidently

By the tone of her voice she seemed to know what she was talking about and so Lincoln took her word for it. Incidentally the path eventually led to an incline which had been connected to the surface. The sun's beautiful golden rays bathing the two in it's warmth as Lincoln took a deep breath of fresh air, filling his lungs to the brim.

"We're finally out of that cave, but where exactly are we?" he asked

Looking over the area, all of the surroundings were foreign. Smalls pools of golden flowers sat planted a top green pastures with a beautiful flowing river running beneath a stone bridge nearby. A few small creatures roamed nearby as well. Although the trip between caves didn't seem too long but here they were, seemingly worlds away. Leni took in the sight, admiring every little detail of the beautiful world she hadn't seen in basically forever. Lincoln smiled at the childlike wonder that Leni displayed and decided to explore around, making sure to avoid damaging the environment.

"It's strange how well kept this place is despite nobody taking care of it." Lincoln noticed

"Maybe they left to go take a bathroom break." Leni joked

"Maybe." Lincoln chuckled

Letting out a large yawn and blinking slowly Lincoln decided that maybe it was time to take a break. A short nap wouldn't hurt would it? A large oak tree sitting alone on top of the highest hill, a great spot in the shade for a bit of relaxation. He made his way up and sat down on the surprisingly soft ground, leaned against the tree, admired the view and shut his eyes.

* * *

When Lincoln finally woke from his nap he could feel his heart pounding a sickly beat in his chest as he held on tighter to Leni's hilt. A nightmare, Lincoln always had them but this one felt... different, more real and even more terrifying. Getting his breathing together he settled down and looked up at the cloudless sky. He rubbed his eyes and stretched, cracking a few bones with audible clicks.

"How long have I been out here?" he asked himself

Judging by the sun's position he could safely say that it had been around two or three hours. He glanced over at Leni, it was impossible to tell whether or not she was asleep. He picked her up and laid her flat across his legs before taking another look at her. She was the perfect sword but Lincoln didn't want a perfect sword, he wanted his sister back... all of them.

"Lincy?" she asked groggy

"Leni, I swear I'll return you to normal. Somehow."

"I know you will Lincy. I'll always believe in you." she said

No matter what form she took he knew she'd always be the sweet and lovable Leni he had grown accustomed to. He looked at his forearm and once again at the painful reminder of that day seared into his flesh. It stood there motionless taunting him while also being one of the main sources of his determination, there was only one problem though.

"Wait have you ever actually used a sword?" Leni asked

There it was. For some reason it didn't set in that he had no prior experience with fighting bare handed or armed for that matter. In this world the weak and inexperienced often end up six feet below the dirt... if you're lucky enough to have your body recovered. Admitting that he had never used a sword before Leni set out to teach him the basic in the best way she could.

"As a start, swordsmanship isn't something you can master just by cruising by. You'll need intense physical training in order to properly fight." she explained

He couldn't lie the thought of learning swordsmanship kind of excited him. Leni instructed him on what said to be the simplest thing. A vertical slash was the first step. She told him to hold her tight in both hands and lead with his left foot, making sure to distribute his weight evenly. Doing as he was told using the tree behind him as a training dummy he took a stance and awaited more instruction. Next was to face his hips towards his opponent, the tree, and make sure her blade was at shoulder level.

"Don't get nervous, steady your breathing." Leni said

Lincoln nodded his head and adjusted Leni so that her hilt was around the same level as his stomach and her blade his shoulder. Keeping a tight grip he continued to listen. The final steps were to clothesline the tree by bringing her in forward, step forward and slightly to the right, and in one motion slice through. It seemed simple enough, Leni told him that all steps must be preformed in one fluid motion without a single hitch. Despite just learning the movements he moved briskly like an expert. When he made it to the final strike he put all of his weight behind it and slashed through the trunk diagonally. It shifted and slid off, crashing into the ground.

"That felt... great! What about you Leni?" he asked still high on adrenaline

"A-Amazing! That was awesome Lincy, you're a natural." Leni praised

"I feel a little sorry for the tree though." Lincoln admitted

However that sorrow didn't last long as the tree's trunk branched out and reconnected itself with it's fallen half. It looked even sturdier than before, healthier as well. Now that confirmed that this place was definitely not normal. "Well don't stop now. You've still got a lot more training to do." Leni said. By the time they were done at the end of the day Lincoln had been left a panting mess. Sweat had coated the entirety of his body and his lungs felt like they were on the verge of collapse. Through all of this however not once did Leni's blade dull.

"Whew, I didn't think we'd be out this late." Lincoln said

It was just then that the severity of his words dawned on him. Late? Oh no, how long had he been out here? He had to hurry back right now, Miss Fatima didn't seem like she was joking when she said she'd kick him out if he was late. He quickly stood up and almost instantly had to steady himself from vertigo. Every muscle in his body ached as he continued to push forward. He ran at a sprint until he saw familiar landmarks, his chest convulsing with every deep breath he took. Looking in the distance he got a clear look of the orphanage, he made it.

"Well that's one problem solved, now I just have to sneak you in." Lincoln said

He hurried to scale the side of the building with his free hand and shifted to the side. He hooked around and made his way below his bedroom's window, being able to just barely slip Leni through. "I'll be back soon." he said dropping down and walking towards the front door. The front doors creaked open as Lincoln walked through and met with Miss Fatima as she was finishing tidying up. She looked at him and smiled but not before noticing his current state.

"What happened to you? You're all muddied up and- you smell foul," she said waving her hand in front of her face

"But at least I'm on time," he said proudly

"Well, they do say there's a first time for everything," she joked

She sent him off to bathe and then hit the hay. After a long cleanse he slipped into clean attire and entered his room. Leni perched against the windowsill and Lincoln picked her up yet again, she seemed to feel at ease when he held her close.

"I wish we could stay like this forever," Leni said

"There's still so much that needs to be done, I'll make sure that it can be like it was before," Lincoln said

"I'll leave it to you," Leni said

Lincoln clicked off the lights. Tonight he was finally able to sleep, just a little bit easier.


	2. True Strength

Lincoln wasn't sure if it was because he trained a lot yesterday or if he just wanted to sleep in and never get up again, but getting out of his bed had to be the hardest part of his day by far. The sun slowly spilled in through the windows and covered the floor just as Lincoln finally sat up. He swung his feet over the side of the bed and looked behind him at Leni who leaned against a spare pillow.

"Good morning Lincy." she said

"Oh, didn't realize that you were already awake. Morning Leni." he greeted

"You should probably get a start on your day. Yesterday was just the beginning." she said

She was right, the minute he began to slack off he knew that it wouldn't end well. She told him to hurry and eat breakfast, he'd need all the energy he could muster up for today. Since Leni couldn't come with him, for obvious reasons, he left her in a fairly hidden spot as he went to go to the common area. When he was finished he would have to sneak back up and come retrieve her. His arms ached at the thought of how many times he'd be sneaking in and out through that window. Sighing he went down to the first floor and grabbed a plate for his breakfast, today though something was different. In the midst of everything there were all eyes on where he normally sat, his spot that was usually empty had a new resident. A small girl with light brown skin that looked to be around his age. With rugged short white hair that somehow still covered her eyes she wore a large t-shirt and presumably shorts since he couldn't see. As he made his way there he heard the gossip of the other children. They didn't seem like they were trying to hide the fact that they were speaking about him though.

"Poor new kid,"

"Well she chose to sit there, it's her own fault if something happens,"

He tuned them out, sure he used to have violent tendencies in the past but they had calmed down... there was nothing to be worried about. He took his seat and the sudden movement cause the new girl to flinch in surprise. She sat with a large assortment of food on a plate in front of her, although most of it was barely touched. He started on his own plate and made his way through it in record time. Glancing off to his right he saw the girl fidgeting and wondered if he should say anything, he wasn't really much of a conversationalist though.

"Hey, you're new here right,"

Once again the suddenness of his actions caused her to jump, she quickly nodded in response. Not a talker huh, fine he could understand that. She turned her body away from him and once again started to fidget. "If you've heard anything about me, I can reassure you that… most of them are just rumors," he said calmly. She settled down if only slightly and started to look as if she had something she wanted to say. However when she finally worked up the nerve to speak, Lincoln had already gotten up and left. Well there was always later, right? Back upstairs in his room Lincoln got dressed and decided to make his life a tad bit easier by making something he could carry Leni in. Taking a spare blanket he wrapped it around her blade only leaving the hilt slightly exposed.

"It's not exactly the best but it'll hold. Sorry if it's not comfortable." he said as he took the makeshift strap and slung it over his shoulder

He fell directly to the ground below and awaited for today's training instructions. Leni was quick and to the point with her explanation, today he would be hunting. While that vote of confidence was reassuring hunting might still be a bit out of his league. But it all depended fully on what exactly he was hunting, something simply probably, Leni wouldn't put him in harm's way intentionally... right? The two walked their normal route through the forest as Leni guided him somewhere he had previously avoided. Beyond the brush of trees that stood before him Lincoln witnessed his first extermination assignment as a novice sword fighter.

"An Orc?!" Lincoln whisper shouted

"Yep, but this one looks a little too weak. I'm sure if we keep looking we could find a stronger one though." she said

"No, no... this one's fine." Lincoln hurried to tack on

Staring at the orc from a distance it wore an assortment of light body armor and wielded a large stone battleaxe. Quickly finding an opening was the first plan of action, if he struck first then it assured his victory. So when the orc's back was fully turned towards him he had rushed to go on the offense with a quick forward slash. The wound he left was a lot deeper than he was initially going for, in fact it ended up slashing the orc in half. Lincoln seemed bewildered by this as he looked from Leni to the orc.

"Was... was it actually that weak?" he asked

"See I told you. Let's look for another." Leni said

While they did find more orc's deeper into the forests brush none of them seemed to hold up well, one slash and they all ended up the same: dead on the ground. Even when they moved in packs it was simple, Lincoln's size allowed him to move fast enough to avoid detection and evade any attacks that made it through. It had been a few hours as Lincoln had rounded up any and all loot he had gathered and began sorting it by usefulness.

"Where'd they even get this stuff? And why would they want to keep it anyway?" Lincoln asked as he picked through the heap

"You did well today but don't get sidetracked. We should keep going." Leni said

Hands on experience was most definitely the best way to approach his training as he was forced to adapt to the many different situations and environments he was thrown into. Whether the enemy was large and relied solely on their brute strength or fast in nimble relying on speed to gain an opening, he'd have to be ready. Travelling through the entirety of the forest and even somewhat on the outskirts he had seen the largest amount of creatures ever. A total tally of monsters that'd he had slain jumped up to the triple digits. Along the way he had come across a crudely crafted scabbard and used that in place of the sheet, the proportions being slightly off however.

"You've gotten better, advancing quickly is a good sign. It mean's that once we get to the more difficult stuff you'll be able to handle them better." Leni congratulated

"I wouldn't get too excited though. These guys were all weaklings and once you leave this area and start entering dungeons... you'll see what true strength is." Leni warned

All of this was still just the basics, Lincoln had to constantly remind himself of that and keep a level head. Overconfidence wouldn't do anything but get him killed, realize the strength of the enemy and overcome it. Lincoln's stomach began to growl fiercely and Leni had told him to rest for a while to find something to eat.

"Y'know, these monsters might make for a good meal." Leni suggested

Lincoln might've been enjoying the time he spent with Leni but he wasn't exactly up for eating monster meat. Well his stomach thought otherwise as it growled again even louder. Whatever, waste not, want not. Lincoln began a fire and roasted the leg of what he figured was a Kobold. It smelled decent enough and as he bit down he realized just how delicious the taste was. It was just the right amount of firmness and flavor that normal meats couldn't even dream of coming close to. He sat down and ate for a while until he was fully satisfied, the pile of corpses seemingly vanishing along with his hunger.

"I wonder if it was safe to eat those." Lincoln said after the fact

"Hey Lincy, would it be okay if we clean up a bit? All this blood on me is kind of icky." Leni said

Lincoln thought for a second, he couldn't bring her back to the orphanage to be cleaned. An idea suddenly popped into his head as he remembered the strange plain that they found the other day. It had a running source of water, maybe that would be a good spot. They traveled back and walked up to the cave which led to it, sliding down the slope and standing before the fork in the road, Lincoln contemplated. Last time Leni told him to head left so where exactly did the right tunnel go?

"Leni, let's go down this way." Lincoln offered

"Hmm, are you sure Lincy? I feel something much more intense than those monsters from earlier." Leni said

"As long as you're with me it'll be fine."

He nodded and walked through the right side and this time was faced with a decline. Torches strung up on steel holsters lined the pathway down and flickered aimlessly despite the lack of a breeze. Lincoln continued down making sure to grab a torch, not wanting a repeat of last time. It seemed quiet for an eerily long time with nothing jumping out, nothing sneaking up behind him, just the silence of the cave.

"Is there really something down here?" Lincoln asked cautiously

"I'm sure of it. Something big and scary." Leni confirmed

Continuing forward Lincoln walked into something that he could barely see and struggled to remove from his face. Getting a closer look at it it looked to be a spider web, well at least something was alive down here.

"S-spiders?!" Leni sputtered

Despite being a kick ass older sister, Leni still had some things she was afraid of. Spiders being at the very top of that list. Lincoln did his best to calm her down as he delved deeper. After one last turn around the corner the two of them witnessed something horrifying. A large Brood-Mother clinging to the wall, webs had been weaved and stuck to almost every surface. It also seemed to be highly aware of it's territory because as soon as Lincoln made one slight movement it jerked it's head in his direction and opened it's maw.

"Giant Spider!" Leni squealed

Lincoln dodged as the Brood-Mother came crashing down to the ground, the ground becoming like glass and shattering after a single attack. He hurried to reach for Leni's hilt and unsheathe her from the scabbard but she vehemently rejected, staying put and not wanting to fight at all. Lincoln's heart dropped as another onslaught of attacks rained down slowly getting closer and closer to hitting him.

"Leni, I know you're afraid, but right now if you don't help me we're both going to end up as spider food." Lincoln said evading more swipes

As the attack's from the Brood-Mother's hairy tendrils grew slower she backed away to spawn around ten smaller spiders in order to regain her strength. Stopping her chase, her underlings took her place and quickly too. Leni still refusing to leave her scabbard left Lincoln to fend for himself. He turned around and lifted up his fist striking quick and hard, green blood splattering his fists as he continued the fight. It wasn't long until the Brood-Mother was back in the fray shooting out thick webs that boomed against the walls at it struck them. Taking a step forward with one large swing she knocked Lincoln into the wall, shattering it along with a few of his bones. He coughed up a bit of blood and landed on his knees as he fell.

"If I take anymore damage from this thing I'll die, come on Leni. We can do this, you believed in me and I believe in you," Lincoln urged through his own pain

After hearing her brother's words and sensing his determination Leni's heart(?) twinged and she loosened her grip on the scabbard. Lincoln smiled and successfully pulled her out, he went on the defensive as more webs shot out. Regaining his composure he ran as fast as he could. One slash, two slashes, quickly close the gap. More underlings spawned and Lincoln made quick work of them, making sure to kick at least one just to express his disdain.

"Hate those things." Lincoln spat distastefully

Once in range Lincoln took a quick slash at the base of one of the Brood's eight legs. The wound was deep, green blood gushing out as it snapped underneath her weight. A screech that could pierce the clouds echoed throughout the cave, but Lincoln didn't slow his pace. Although he inflicted some damage she continued to slam her tendrils into the ground aiming to kill. The cave trembled as if it was a frightened child, the ceiling threatening to collapse. Lincoln backed up and tried to catch his breath, he was running out of stamina, fast. Acid had escaped from the Brood-Mother's maw and singed through the ground before him. In a final burst of energy he circled around her and took another slash at her legs, one by one they fell.

"This is it!" Lincoln shouted as he lunged at her head

Something sparked in him and he could feel himself moving faster, feeling stronger. He took a deep stab through one of her eyes and she wailed in pain. With one final heavy side slash he relieved the Brood-mother of her head and watched as her body fell limp. He stood above her and held Leni high as a testament to his victory. The foul air from all the spider corpses pinched his nose and the lack of adrenaline making the pain from earlier all too clear. He thought he was skilled enough but he had been bitten on the leg at least three separate times and felt at least a few broken ribs. He kept himself standing by using Leni as a crutch, if that fight had lasted any longer he was sure he'd be dead.

Moving past that though he heard a shifting noise coming from behind him and saw that a wall had opened up, hobbling over to it he noticed a chest.

Wasn't expecting something like this, wonder what's in it," Lincoln said

He opened it and was equally as surprised by the spoils. A finely crafted scabbard with a gold and black checkered pattern from the tip to the base, the words "Wyvern's Claw" inscribed on it. He looked at Leni and removed her from the old scabbard. This must've been meant for her, he thought as he slipped her into it.

"Perfect fit," Leni giggled

"Alright, now let's go to the more friendly side. I'm beat," Lincoln said

* * *

She closed her eyes and covered her ears, the numerous shrieks of her neighbors and friends lingered in the air. The smoke that came abruptly never dissipated and the sky seemed to gain a grayish tint. She laid beside the bloody corpses of her parents hoping that all of this was just a nightmare, that she would soon wake up and be greeted by their warm loving smiles. However upon opening her eyes she looked around at her surroundings and realized that it wasn't.

It was four days ago when it happened, a nightmare in reality. Her parents did all they could to protect her but in the end, they forgot to protect themselves. All alone she collapsed on the side of the road and then somehow ended up here in this orphanage as the only survivor of her town. She wiped her tear stained eyes as she got up from her bed, she avoided as much contact with people by having her food sent to her door. Well today it didn't come like usual, forcing her to go out and get it herself.

She reached for the door handle and struggled to find it. Her eyes were never that strong and after all that smoke, dust, and debris entered them that was the breaking point. Vibrant colors soon became tasteless grays and she could only slightly see shapes and outlines of what was directly in front of her.

Stepping into the hall she had knocked into at least four people and apologized profusely each time. She held onto the railing and made her way to the breakfast line, she grabbed whatever not knowing exactly what it was and being too shy to ask. She struggled to find a seat to take and somehow ended up at the farthest table. It was empty, so she took a seat. She heard some murmurs from the people around her but couldn't make out what they were saying. She began on her food until someone sat next to her, she flinched in surprise. There was a brief silence before they spoke up.

"Hey you're new here, right?" she heard

She jumped slightly again and nodded her head in response. This was the first child who spoke to her since she arrived here, so forgive her if she was a bit nervous. Not knowing what to say next she turned back around until he spoke again.

"If you've heard anything about me, I can reassure you that… most of them are just rumors."

Well she wasn't sure if she had heard anything but now she was interested. She gathered up the courage to speak but he'd already left, she wasn't even able to get his name. Well she didn't say hers either… or anything for that matter.

"Cecile Lumbridge."

She turned her head at the mention of her name, she saw a person but couldn't make out their faces too well. She squinted, trying to find some distinctive features.

"It's me, Miss Fatima," she said waving her hand "Follow me, I need to speak with you in private."

Cecile nodded and held out her hand, Anna took it and lead her to her office/break room. They sat in two chairs facing each other before Anna spoke.

"So I've made an executive decision to assign you a helper seeing as how you're eyesight isn't the best." she said

She didn't want to burden anyone with the responsibility. It was somewhat like this in the past but at least then she had her mother and father with her. She started to shake her head until Miss Fatima spoke again.

"Don't feel like you're causing anybody any trouble, everyone here has unique circumstances. I'm sure they'll be glad to help." she said

Cecile wasn't much of a speaker but her parents always told her to be grateful, if something this helpful came along she should take it. When she spoke it was no louder than a whisper.

"Thank you, if-if it's not too much, could that boy who sits at the far back table help me?" Cecile asked

Far back, was she referring to Lincoln? He was the only one that sat there. She looked at Cecile who twirled her fingers and fidgeted slightly. Anna wasn't sure what drew her to him but if this was what she wanted she wouldn't mind arranging it.

"But you'll probably have to wait, he goes out to who knows where in the mornings." Anna said

"His name is Lincoln, you should properly greet him next time you see him."

* * *

_Achoo_

"What? Is somebody talking about me?" Lincoln sniffled

"You're probably just a little cold." Leni remarked

Once again they were in the plains and had just finished rinsing off in the river. Lincoln noticed that as soon as he stepped in it felt like his injuries were all washed away, bruises clearing up and pain vanishing. It really made him wonder who or what created this place and where they were now. Walking beside the river the land seemed to stretch on forever filled with all types of beauty.

"This view will never get old." Lincoln admired

"Well we might not be able to admire it for much longer. Eventually we'll need to leave." Leni reminded

Lincoln knew this and he had prepared himself to do so. Once he got enough funds for basic necessities he'd head out on the open road. Before money though came a job and hiring a minor wasn't really the norm. He figured he could just sell monster parts to make due for now. "Come on, let's head back." Lincoln said

"But it's not even four o' clock yet." Leni noticed

"Yeah but I've had enough excitement for one day. I promise I'll train twice as hard tomorrow though." he compromised

He headed home once again and snuck Leni in through the window before coming in through the front. He had normally never come back early so seeing kids roaming about and playing was new. Another unexpected thing was when Miss Fatima approached him asking for a favor. "Lincoln, I wasn't expecting you for hours but since you're here allow me to introduce someone," she said. The girl he saw in the morning had stepped forward with her head down and her hands clasped together behind her back.

"This is Cecile, she has had eyesight issues since birth and has always needed someone to guide her-"

Lincoln could see where this was going from space and wasn't sure if he was up for it. She might just have to find someone else. Well that was until Miss Fatima explained Cecile's situation in more detail. About how demons had overrun her town forcing her into the situation just like him and almost instantly afterwards he accepted. Cecile continued to hang her head but extended her arm forward for a handshake, Lincoln accepted. When the two clasped their hands together, Cecile, for a split second, got the first clear view she had seen since… ever. A flowing river beside a prairie of golden flowers overlooked by a hardy oak tree.

"Well I guess I'll leave you to it. Treat her kindly Lincoln." Miss Fatima said leaving them to do as they pleased

"So is there anything that you want to do?" Lincoln asked

"Books? I haven't had one read to me in a while." Cecile said

Lincoln was a bit taken back by her willingness to speak. He smiled a bit and went over to the "library" with Cecile in tow. The library consisted of three shelves with books scattered throughout along with some across the top and the floor. Picking up a few that might've peaked her interest he took Cecile's hand again. "It's a bit noisy down here, let's go up to my room," he said

Although he had no ill intentions he couldn't help but think of what he just said. He offered for a girl to come sit with him in his room, alone… with each other. Well not fully alone, Leni would be there. Lincoln figured it'd be okay since Cecile couldn't see her. He asked for a second to clean up and in this time had told Leni that they had a guest. She wouldn't have to hide but she couldn't make any noise, Leni agreed and sat by quietly.

Come in," he said

He guided Cecile to sit on his bed while he sat on the floor beside her. He read the titles in his head and picked out the most interesting tale.

"The Shadow, is this an okay one to start with?" Lincoln asked

Cecile nodded not having much prior exposure to fictional literature it would probably all be good. Lincoln flipped to the first page and read aloud. The story began with a creature born of malice that would attach itself to a human host. It soon found a human that it grew fond of and took the place of his shadow. In a dire situation of life and death the shadow revealed itself to the man.

At first the man didn't accept it but having faced more and more trials, he gradually grew to adopt the shadows powers as his own. After a battle and severe loss, the man had nearly died. As a last resort the shadow sacrificed its physical form to save him. The rematch was a crushing victory and the man could seemingly return to his old life. The memories of the shadow had stuck with him for as long as he would live.

"That's the end, you enjoy it?" Lincoln asked

He looked over at Cecile who had tears in her eyes. She wiped them but more seemed to fall. "That was… great, in the beginning with the descent into something much greater than himself, the climax with a daunting enemy, and the self sacrifice at the end," she said. Well Lincoln didn't get all that from reading it but the fight scenes were pretty cool, especially where he ripped that demon wolf in two.

"Well I'm glad you enjoyed it," Lincoln said wholeheartedly. Over the past few hours it had gotten easier to talk to Cecile and he was sure she noticed as well. It had been getting late and Lincoln saw Cecile off to her room.

"Thank you, and if you don't mind could we hang out again tomorrow?" Cecile asked. Well he couldn't skip training but he could make some time for her if need be.

"Yeah that'd be cool," he said simply

Lincoln thought for a second and decided to just do it, he opened his arms for a hug and waited for a return. With all the time that had past he forgot she couldn't see too well. So he moved forward and put his arms around her. She blushed as Lincoln let go and went back to his room.

"Goodnight," she said quietly before stubbing her toe on the bed frame

Leni had been silent for the past three or so hours waiting for a moment to speak. When Lincoln closed the door behind him it seemed like a perfect time.

She was really nice, is she your girlfriend?" Leni asked in a sing song tone

"No, I was just being nice. But yeah she is really cool," Lincoln admitted

She seemed different from anybody who spoke to him. She spoke from her heart and seemed to enjoy his company, no ulterior motives. It would be a bit sad when he would have to leave, so he'd make the most of these moments.


	3. Sight Beyond Sight

**A/N: Now this is more like it, I feel so much better. Three successful chapters and counting. Enjoy!**

* * *

Perfect skills without a refined body don't mean much in the heat of battle. This was a lesson Lincoln learned the hard way two weeks ago in that fight with the Broodmother… a few broken bones later. So in addition to his sword training he developed his physique with semi advanced strength training.

"Come on, you got this!" Leni cheered

She sat perched beside a large tree that Lincoln sat on top of. His legs were wrapped around a branch as he curled up from bottom to top. Before this he had been working on his upper body through push ups and a bit of martial arts. This had been his schedule in preparation to leave the village. Well this and spending time with Cecile, she was a nice break from the training. Speaking of Cecile, over the past few days they had grown a bit more intimate. It started off small but soon ended up with them locking lips. He fell down from the tree with a perfect dismount.

"How many was that for today?" he asked

"Umm, ninety-three," Leni recalled

Lincoln lifted up his shirt and wiped the sweat from his face. Everyday he strived to better himself and the results showed, he went from a scrawny weakling to a more buff and defined build.

"So I tied my old record, thought I had it this time," he said slightly upset

"Don't worry Lincy, you've done more than enough. I'm sure you'll reach it eventually," Leni said

Currently they were at a makeshift training ground, using logs and tree trunks as training dummies seemed to work so they stuck with it. He saw the many battle marks left on the trees and saw them as a reminder of how far he came. He was also able to acquire funds by selling monster parts for a reasonable price. With this he planned to leave the village by the end of the week. The only problem was how he was going to break the news to Clyde or Cecile.

"It might be a bit dangerous but you could take them with us," Leni offered

He couldn't do that to Clyde, he had his own life in the village. But what about Cecile, he assumed she would come with him but would he want her to? If she ever got hurt and he wasn't there to protect her then-. He'd have to make a choice and quickly too. He sighed as he picked up Leni and a sack of assorted meats, whether they were monster meat or regular animals was unclear.

He went in through the front without sneaking Leni in first, if he was going to leave anyway then there was no point in trying to not get kicked out. Strangely enough whenever he went in, Miss Fatima was nowhere to be seen. Inside now, he saw Cecile sitting with her back to the wall and a book in front of her, her finger sliding across the pages. It was many of the books in braille that Clyde had generously gifted to her.

"I don't really have a use for them, so I don't mind," he said

He remembered the exact face Cecile made, one of pure joy and happiness. Although she had been here for a few weeks she still didn't feel too comfortable around many people. He smiled and went over to her and tapped her shoulder. She smiled slightly as she continued with her book.

"Who is it?" she asked playfully

"Lincoln," he said

"Hmm, Lincoln… did we go to high school together?" she asked continuing the ruse

"Yeah right,"

She giggled and he laughed as he took a seat beside her. They had spent their days just like this, enjoying each other's company, not needing much more. When he thought about the little things his heart felt loss, soon he wouldn't be able to enjoy this anymore.

"You've been coming home earlier, is everything okay?" she asked

"Yes, everything's fine," he lied

Cecile didn't seem too convinced by that and asked Lincoln to escort her to his room so they could speak in private. He did as he was told and held her hand leading her upstairs. When they both were inside they sat on the bed together which dipped under their combined weight. Cecile couldn't tell what face Lincoln was making but she felt something was wrong.

"Lincoln, you can be honest with me. Is something wrong?" she asked gently

"Cecile, the truth is… I'm leaving soon. I hesitated on telling you because I enjoy what we have. I didn't want to spoil what moments we have left," Lincoln finally admitted

"Leaving? Where are you going?" she asked worried

Well if it came to this he would leave everything bare. He told her everything from his past, his sisters and parents up until now and what he had been going through. When he was finished he looked at Cecile and waited for her to speak.

"You've been carrying such a heavy burden by yourself?" Cecile asked shocked

"It's true, I'm sorry I couldn't be honest from the start," he said

Cecile held her hands around his and looked him in the eye… she thought. From the look on her face Lincoln could already tell what she was going to say.

"Let me come with you,"

Lincoln shook his head, it was dangerous to begin with. With her eyes it would be suicide, he couldn't do that to her no matter how much it hurt. If he could just somehow heal her of this ailment then maybe-. That's when it struck him, every time he got hurt he was fine the next day, and how it did it.

"The river," Lincoln said

"The what?" Cecile said confused

Lincoln picked up Cecile and carried her on his back. She was startled by the sudden change of pace and held on for dear life. Lincoln hurried through the cave and made it to the left most side, he reached the stairs and once he was above ground he smiled.

"I'm an idiot for not thinking of this before," he said

"Cecile, I think I know a way you can get your sight back," Lincoln offered

"How?" she asked genuinely curious

He instructed Cecile to take off her clothes which she strongly denied. She held tight to her clothes and blushed strongly. I mean they were technically dating but there was an etiquette to this, you had to be subtle.

"Don't worry, I'm turning around, all you have to do is step into the river for a while," he said

Taking his word for it Cecile, still slightly embarrassed, removed her clothing and stepped forward into the river. It was cold and gave her goosebumps but she stayed in it. It wasn't long before she felt a sensation in her head, the color of the world slowly faded back in. Her vision, it was coming back to her… along with something she couldn't quite understand. She stepped out of the river and covered her privates before putting on her clothes.

"How is this possible?" Cecile asked as she looked over to Lincoln

"I'm not sure myself but I found it one day," Lincoln said with his back to her

"You can turn around now," Cecile said

For the first time Cecile got to see what her boyfriend looked like. When she saw him she was floored by how handsome he actually was. She didn't have high standards but this was much more than she was expecting. From his chiseled face to his toned muscles, everything was just… wow.

"How do you feel?" Lincoln asked

He held out his hand and she took it graciously, she always knew his hands were bigger than hers but being able to see them now, she felt protected. She looked at Lincoln and saw something floating to the left beside him. (Name: Lincoln Loud, Species:???, Affinity: Cecile Lumbridge, Loud Family. Description: "A kind-hearted young man traveling the realms in search of his lost sisters.") She saw every letter crystal clear.

"I feel fine," she said ignoring that list

"Now that you have your sight, I have something to show you," Lincoln said

He reached around his back and undid a strap. He unsheathed an elegant looking sword that glimmered under the sun. When she looked at it the message board came up again. (Leni Loud, Alias: Wyvern's Claw, Strength: , Affinity: Loud Family, Abilities:??? Description: "A simple minded yet compassionate girl, transformed into an expertly crafted demon weapon.") Cecile blinked and listened in on what Lincoln was saying.

"This is one of my sisters, I was lucky enough to find her deep in that cave," he said

"It's nice to meet you. Thank you for caring for my brother," Leni greeted

"You too, I mean… no problem Leni," Cecile said slightly nervous

"How'd you know my name?" Leni asked

Cecile told them about the mysterious message board that popped up when she looked at them after stepping out of the river. All the information that was written on them had been true as well, not a single fallacy. The river healed her eyes but Cecile never recalled being able to see something this advanced before.

"Now I could actually be helpful to you," Cecile beamed

"Well that might be true, but you have no combat training," Lincoln said

"How hard could it be?" Cecile said nonchalantly

How hard huh? Lincoln swept her leg and pinned her down to the ground in two seconds flat. He made sure not to hurt her, just to prove a point. She pouted in response as Lincoln let her up. To make it up to her he did two things, one: kissed her cheek, and two: offered a proposition.

"If you can knock me down in a fight I promise to bring you with me," he said

"I leave this Saturday so that gives you six days. Happy training," Lincoln said

Before he left though, Leni whispered something to Lincoln and he looked back and forth. In the end he sighed and came back to Cecile. He left Leni in her hands and headed off back to the orphanage.

"What was that about?" Cecile asked

"Well I felt it was unfair that you didn't have someone to teach you, so here I am," she said excitedly

"Don't worry, I've trained up Lincy and looked how he turned out,"

With that, Leni took Cecile under her wing and taught her how she could win. Leni opted to to begin with going on offense, stating that defending would come naturally.

"First take a basic stance, spread your legs slightly with your right foot slightly in front,"

Cecile awkwardly shifted into the optimal position and continued to listen.

"Next make a bend at your knees and turn your hips," she said

"Tuck your elbows in tight and keep your fist at around cheek level,"

Using the tree as a training dummy, exactly how Lincoln once did, and prepared herself as Leni instructed. She threw a quick right punch and winced in pain.

"You didn't have to punch the tree! Practicing against the air would've settled for now," Leni said worried

"Wish I knew that earlier," she said through clenched teeth

After dipping her hand in the river, she was back in action. She threw strikes at air continuously. There were times when she broke formation and had to be corrected or lost her footing but she steadily made progress.

"Good, good, now for more versatility you'll be combining another style," Leni said

Cecile nodded as Leni informed her of the next fighting style. It involved being able to block kick freely. Taking a similar stance she began again.

"Make sure to keep your guard up as you kick," Leni said

She did as she was told, it wasn't very fast but her movements were just about perfect. They continued until it got dark, when morning came they'd be back.

* * *

The past few days blurred together as one until it was Saturday, Judgement Day. Lincoln and Cecile stood in the open field of what they dubbed "The Sanctuary". The grass around them moved in the direction of the subtle wind and the hilltop tree looked down at them both.

"You sure you don't want a weapon?" Lincoln asked as he offered a wooden sword

"Yeah, and if I'm being honest I only trained my fist and legs," Cecile said while cracking her knuckles

Lincoln smiled, the girl had spunk. He told her prior that he wouldn't hold back so to not hold back either. Leni would be referee for the match, whatever happened they both agreed to accept with protest.

"Ready," Leni started

Both got into their optimal fighting stances, time seemed to slow down as the world held its breath in anticipation.

"Go!" Leni exclaimed

Like a flash they both bolted from their starting points faster than Leni could take notice of. When they clashed their fist came together, they held on well against one another. Lincoln had normally relied on using a sword so Cecile had the upper hand with her exclusive fist fighting experience. They traded blows each evading or blocking evenly. A quick leg sweep from Cecile caused Lincoln to need some distance.

"Almost had you," Cecile taunted

"In your dreams," Lincoln retorted

Closing the gap Cecile tried an aerial sideways kick. She shifted into the air and shifted her weight, tilting her body and putting as much strength behind it as she could. Lincoln blocked with his right arm and went for a counter with his left. After she was back on her feet she didn't slow down, rushing forward for a punch. Lincoln grabbed her wrist and threatened to slam her down.

She planted her free hand on the ground and attacked with her feet, causing him to lose his grip. Cecile was the one to back off this time. Focusing her eyes she looked for anyway through his defense. The index that she first saw days ago appeared again and soon everything was clear.

"Tired?" Lincoln asked looking winded himself

"Not even close," Cecile said fiercely

The gap she left had quickly disappeared and she went on the attack. She threw a swift right kick aimed at Lincoln's temple which he had block again. This time was different though as Cecile launched from his shoulder and brought down her left leg hard. He stumbled and reacted a bit too slow, unable to get into the proper guard position he took a heavy amount of damage.

She landed behind him and swept his leg successfully. She grabbed hold of one of his legs and pinned his throat behind her arm. Soon after his back made complete contact with the ground.

"G-Game," Leni announced

Cecile let him up and pumped her fist into the air. She won, all her hard work paid off.

"You really did it, I guess I was wrong. For your victory I also bought a little something for you," he said

Cecile glanced over and saw Lincoln remove a small black box from his pocket.

"W-wait, isn't it a bit too soon for that?" Cecile asked embarrassed

"What do you mean?" Lincoln said as he opened the box

Instead of whatever she was thinking of, there was a pair of leather gauntlets with metal lined across the fingers and knuckles. Oh, it was just fighting gear… her mind always seemed to wander to strange places. She accepted the gauntlets, they felt sturdy and flexible.

"What would you have done with this if I lost?" Cecile asked curious

"They'd be my final gift to you," he admitted

"Well I expect more presents from now on," she joked

Cecile admired the craft of the gauntlets and finally thought it was time to do something. She made her way to the "Regenerating Oak" and cleared her mind. With the assistance of the index she took her right fist and struck hard. A large gaping hole was left in it's center, but it soon grew back though.

"You sure can hold a grudge," Lincoln said coming up behind her

"Better believe it," she said

"I thought you seemed different from the other girls," Lincoln said lovingly

"Like you've been with other girls," she giggled

They held hands and interlocked their fingers, it was time to head out on the open road. Their first stop was the city of Khismere . Lincoln had packed in advance and brought both of their things with him. He slung the large bag onto both of his shoulders and positioned Leni between his back and the bag.

"Did you say your goodbyes?" Lincoln asked

"Don't need to, your the only one who I care about," she said fondly

* * *

The city of Khismere, a town bustling with life, home to adventurers and merchants alike. Going from a small village with barely any people to something like this was stressful. The street was lined with shops and facilities that brimmed with people of all species.

"I'm so nervous, I feel like everyone's looking at us," Cecile said

"Well they might be, you do kind of stand out," Lincoln said

Cecile seemed bewildered by this statement, while carrying the corpses of two absurdly huge monsters, two tri-horn grizzly bears. She defended her actions by saying they snuck up on her and that if she just left them there it would be a waste. Surely a small girl carrying like that would garner a few stares.

"Anyway, where are we going exactly?" she asked

"Well in order to find stronger dungeons we'll need to apply as adventurers," Lincoln said

They made their way to the heart of the city, one of the many Adventurer Halls spread across the world. Lincoln and Cecile went through the door walking past a vast variety of species and races. They made their way to a receptionist with red curls that sat behind a wooden desk that connected to the wall. A small name plate sat in front of her, Marigold. She looked up from her large pile of paperwork and saw Lincoln and Cecile. She took note of their attire, shabby and rundown, she seemed to know where this was going.

"Hi, we'd like to apply to be adventurers," Lincoln said

Just as she assumed, there was always some kids from unfortunate backgrounds that think that they could make it as an adventurer. Despite that it was still against regulation to prevent anyone that wasn't a criminal to apply for a license. The good news was that once they saw the test they had to take, chances are they'd back out quickly. Leading the duo outside to a practice battleground she began her explanation of the test.

"This is your instructor, General Galus. He will determine if you are ready to become adventurers," Marigold explained

Both children looked at who she was talking about and saw a large armored man clutching an axe in his large hand. He had a single red horn protruding on the right side of his head. While a sight like this would normally discourage the weak-willed Lincoln and Cecile seemed confident in their ability.

"Roshambo?" Lincoln asked

Cecile nodded and rested her right fist above her left palm, Lincoln did the same. Patting their palms three times, they threw. Lincoln with rock and Cecile with paper.

"Best two out of three?" Lincoln asked

"Nice try," Cecile said as she prepped for her battle

Tightening her gauntlets and stretched, Galus seemed to be irritated by Cecile's lack of seriousness. Impudent brats need to be put in their place, and he'd be the one to do it. Marigold and Lincoln stood back as they began their battle, while Marigold seemed a little worried, Lincoln just grinned.

"Don't hold back now," Cecile taunted as she punched the palm of her hand with her fist

The fight was over just as quickly as it had started, a crushing defeat… for Galus. You'd think Galus would have the upper hand with his physical prowess but Cecile seemed to easily overpower him. With that fight over with, Lincoln prepared himself.

"Good job," Lincoln congratulated

"Did you doubt me?" Cecile asked jokingly

Since Lincoln was using a weapon, Galus had opted to use his axe. He had underestimated Cecile, he wouldn't make the same mistake twice in a row. He held tight on his axes handle and Lincoln unsheathed Leni, prepping his stance.

"We're fighting Lincy?" Leni whispered

"Yeah, but don't worry, I won't kill him," Lincoln said

Once again the fight ended and just as the last one, Galus had lost. He didn't seem upset though, in fact he seemed happy. These two showed promising potential, he couldn't wait to see how they grew. Giving Marigold his approval to allow these two their licenses they set off again.

"I must be getting old, I've gotten soft," Galus said to himself

After being omitted they walked down an elegant and artisan crafted hallway that seemed to stretch on forever. A bright light shone in the distance, it's source a large and beautiful crystal resting above a podium. Marigold and another attendant they didn't see before had been there to guide them.

"This device measures magic aptitude, the brighter it glows the more powerful your magic ability is," Marigold said

"There are two types of magic. Regular magic for casting spells and such and strengthening magic that can boost your attack strength," the attendant said

Coming from a non-magical oriented background this was all new and exciting to them. After they did this they would eventually be able to tap into a reservoir of magic. Cecile was up first, resting her palm flat against the crystal's smooth surface.

It glowed a bright shade of orange that reminded Cecile of a sunset. She had been told, she had enough magical aptitude to use strengthening magic. Cecile wasn't sure but she swore she felt a little stronger. Next up was Lincoln, he did the same as Cecile but something was different. The crystal had darkened and became an abysmal black.

"Is this supposed to happen?" Lincoln asked worried

Soon the crystal began to crack and he was instructed to hurry and remove his hand. Everyone looked at him and then back to the crystal.

"You said you've never used magic before, right?" Marigold asked

"Yeah, is something wrong?" Lincoln asked

"No, no, it's just your magical aptitude is very strong. You could easily cast spells and possibly enchant weapons," the attendant said

Being assured that nothing was wrong, the two of them left along with Marigold. Before that however Marigold told the attendant to make a report to the guildmaster, "Keep those two under close surveillance,".

"So your names are Lincoln Loud and Cecile Lumbridge," she repeated

They nodded and Marigold started the finishing touches on their licenses. Although their potential was a lot more than that of a normal adult, let alone a child, they'd have to start at the bottom. She explained the ranking system to them. Starting from F-Rank they'd progress up the ladder.

Quests are the easiest way to rank up alongside Guild Raids and Special Events. In fact they had come at a good time, a special event would be occurring within the week. Next up would be levels, which are tracked by their licenses. Alongside rank, everything aforementioned would raise levels too.

Finally was dungeons, all dungeons were regarded as dangerous. In order to keep their adventurers alive, you could only take on dungeons of your rank or one higher. If you join a high rank party though you can participate in higher rank dungeons.

"So that's everything for beginner's. By the way, if you two have any monster materials, feel free to sell them here.

"Ooh, I think I have something," Cecile said

She headed outside and picked up something she left there earlier. Cramming it through the small door without breaking it was a bit difficult. Once inside it was obvious what she was talking about-

"Tri-Horn Grizzly Bears?!" Marigold exclaimed

"Yeah, sorry they're not properly dismantled though," Cecile said

It was like a puppy carrying a dead bird to its master in hopes of praise. Lincoln found it adorable while everyone else had been a bit fearful.

"I think I got something too," Lincoln said reaching into the bag he packed

He had a few dismantled materials after returning to the spider lair. Fangs and tendrils from the underlings and the Broodmothers egg sack, since he couldn't carry more.

"Okay, we'll uh- take those off your hands," Marigold said

After doing some calculations she came back with a large amount of gold.

"The material price plus dismantling fee for the bears comes to 9,530 gold pieces," Marigold said

She handed them a large coin sack. While the Spider Lair parts were worth more, the bears came to a large price themselves. The coins knocked against each other with every subtle movement as they headed to the exit.

Lincoln and Cecile heard a few whispers on their way there. Some of admiration and some of envy, it was a new feeling for both of them. With gold in their pockets, they went to explore the city. From restaurants to blacksmiths and alchemists, everything was so alluring. They went shopping for miscellaneous things and before they knew it the day had come to a close.

"Ready to call it a day?" Lincoln asked

He looked over to Cecile who nodded lazily. Taking that as a yes they made their way to an inn. The price of the room just barely made a dent of the money they made in one day.

"Being an adventurer sure has it perks," Cecile said

"But we can't forget the reason we're doing this," Lincoln reminded

"Of course, your sisters take priority. We'll be together every step of the way," Cecile assured

* * *

**I rewrote the last section of this chapter because I felt as if it was a bit sloppily put together. The change probably won't have too much of an impact but I just wanted it to be as good as I could make it. I know I can improve so please let me know how I can.**


	4. The Two Man Army

**Notice: Chapter 3 has been partially edited, if you want to you can go back and read it.**

* * *

It had been only one day since Cecile and Lincoln became adventurers, but they still made the most of their time by doing as many quests as possible. Currently they were heading back to town after finishing the quest of "Subjugating 4 Goblins".

"Being an F-Rank is so boring," Cecile said

F-Rank and even E-Rank quests weren't much in terms of combat. It was mostly resource collecting and maybe killing 1-4 low level monsters.

"Think of it as experience, you can't expect to just jump to S-Rank," Lincoln reminded

Cecile shrugged as they made their way back to the guild to hand in their quests. Marigold kindly greeted them and took their quests sheets and items.

"Haven't you guys found any armor to wear?" Marigold asked

"To be honest we haven't exactly thought about armor," Lincoln admitted

"Well a blacksmith had been looking for two kids with white hair, you seem to fit that description," Marigold said

Marigold had told them that buying armor would be a wise choice. They would need to be prepared for today's event. They would be left behind if they didn't hurry up.

"The Blacksmith Reiner, his shop is in the Metalworks District," Cecile had repeated

A shop fitting the description had come into view and the two kids peeked inside. A short man with goggles stood above an anvil, pounding away at metal. The bell above the door chimed as they entered.

"Ah, customers. Welcome," he greeted as he removed his goggles

Getting a better look at the two he realized it was the children he saw at the guild. He was fortunate enough to see them in action while delivering weapons. He explained that people with such potential shouldn't be running around in rags.

"I actually have two armor sets prepared. They were originally meant for two others but unfortunately they died in a dungeon before I could finish them," Gars explained

He fetched them and gave them to Lincoln and Cecile. Before even putting them on they could tell the armor was too large.

"Don't worry about the size, those pieces have a magic that auto adjust to the users size," he explained

Taking his word, one by one they changed in the backroom. When they came out they were fully equipped. Cecile wore Dress Armor which was as it sounded, a small dress with a steel corset on the chest. Along with that was Paraclaw Cat Gauntlets that replaced the old gloves Lincoln bought, she still kept them though. Finally was Poison Wyvern Boots, leather boots imbued with Poison Wyvern parts.

"Wow, it really does fit perfectly. It flows so well too," she said

Gars smiled, the armor wasn't too special but Cecile could tell it was strong. Looking at every piece her eyes gave her a complete description of everything. The materials used to create everything made these especially worth it.

"What do you think Lincoln?" Cecile asked

"It looks really good on you," he said

"You look great too," Cecile admired

Since the armor was made in a pair Lincoln had worn an outfit similar to Cecile's, defensive but easy to move in. A light steel chestplate with trousers made of animal hide. Leather gauntlets were on his hands and a leather belt with a sword holster around his waist. He also had a hood attached to the top of the armor.

"These are perfect, how much?" Lincoln asked

"Free of charge, but if you want stronger equipment in the future you can pay with gold or high rank monster parts," he said

"I also couldn't help but notice your sword and scabbard. Where did you get them?" Reiner asked

Lincoln decided on what he should tell him. Excluding his sister's situation, he explained that in his old town he stumbled across a cave and found her. He trained for a while and went on to fight the Broodmother to gain her scabbard.

"I can tell it's very powerful, the God of Chaos must've taken a liking to you," Reiner said

"God of Chaos?" Cecile asked

"Yep, throughout time the God of Chaos has supplied this world with dungeons and monsters," Reiner said

The God of Chaos was ironically the one to balance out the power between deities and humans. When dungeons first appeared, humans would explore them and find great treasure. Soon their way of life seemed to revolve around dungeon raiding and trying to get the best loot from them.

"Dungeons only have loot on par with it's difficulty. The God of Chaos only wanted those who were strong enough to complete the dungeon to claim it's riches," Reiner explained

"Good to know, I still think I got lucky," Lincoln said

"Buck up lad, don't think of it like that. I'm sure that you deserved it," Reiner said

With that vote of confidence they set off back to the guild, if they were early they didn't mind waiting. To be honest they were excited to see what kind of event would take place. When they made their way there they were surprised to see the amount of people waiting outside. It's true the hall was always full but this was a bit much, it seemed like everyone was waiting for something or someone.

"Do we wait here or-?" Lincoln asked before being interrupted

"He's here! It's Captain Dracovidge of the White Dragon Guild," a random woman screamed

Directing their attention to where the voice came from they saw a squadron of knights riding white horses that wore armor. Every knight had their helmet on except for the one in front. He was the center of attention, with blonde hair and stunning looks, every woman fawned over him: Captain Dracovidge.

"Wonder what he's doing here," Cecile said unphased by his looks

"Ladies and Gentlemen, you all must have heard of the extravagant event that will undoubtedly be the best moments of your lives, a chance to prove yourself to us and join the White Dragons," he said with flamboyance

A cheered roared through the crowd, Lincoln was sure he had heard the name of that guild somewhere before, the strongest of the strong wanted to join this guild. It provided great opportunities and benefits for not only the adventurers but for their families as well. This is the first time they were recruiting in three years.

"I don't know if I like this guy, he seems a bit… dense," Cecile said

"Well we don't have to join, we can just take advantage of the free ranks," Lincoln said

They heard laughter from people behind them, a group of "veteran" adventurers. They wore decent armor and their stats weren't all that bad, according to Cecile's Index. Lincoln decided to ignore them but hell hath no fury. The largest one laid a hand on Lincoln's shoulder and Lincoln struggled to not reach for Leni and cut it off.

"Listen kid, if you're not even gonna try how about dropping out now. Not like you'll make it past the first round anyway," the man laughed

Lincoln controlled his temper but Cecile wasn't so kind. She pulled back her fist and in seconds the man twice her size slid across the ground and was knocked unconscious. His partners went to go tend to him and Cecile lowered her fists and turned around.

"Y'know, you didn't have to hit him," Lincoln said

"Yeah I did, you wouldn't understand," she said

Leaving it at that they looked back to Dracovidge who was somehow still talking. The gist of what he was saying was that, there would be a training/evaluation program to see any possible contenders. After that would be a tournament of sorts to pick out the cream of the crop.

"You will report to this location in Mirum, if you are late you will be exempt from the test," he explained

Those words sparked a large chain reaction of people rushing to Mirum. It wasn't too far away but people were worried about this kind of thing.

"Guess we should get going too," Lincoln advised

"I wonder what's going to happen. I'm kinda excited," Cecile admitted

* * *

One by one the contenders made their way to the training ground. There was nothing for arriving first besides bragging rights… and that wasn't worth much. The first person to arrive was an assassin followed by numerous sword fighters, brawlers, beastmen, and much more. Lincoln and Cecile followed behind, as long as they weren't late it didn't matter.

"Well, well, we have an interesting ensemble of people here," an advisor said

They wore a hooded cloak that covered all of their face except for their mouth. After a quick head count there were told to be twenty-seven people in total, three having dropped out. As the advisor spoke with his associates, the contenders took the time to get acquainted.

A woman with brown hair that wore a cloak and witch hat came over to Lincoln and Cecile. A man wearing armor and wielding a sword followed close behind.

"You kids are pretty young, but I saw what you did earlier. You both must be very strong," she said

"Of course, we wouldn't have made it this far without being strong," Cecile bragged

"Well it's nice to meet you, my name's Ellie and this is my brother Zayn" she introduced

"I'm Lincoln and this is Cecile, my girlfriend," he said

While it was true, Cecile still seemed a bit embarrassed by Lincoln's straightforwardness. Ellie giggled a bit.

"I'm glad you told me, if I didn't know any better I'd think you two were siblings," she admitted

Lincoln gave a weak chuckle as they said goodbye. Cecile looked over at Lincoln, he didn't show that what she said affected him but she could feel it. Before she could say anything though it was time to start.

"To gauge your physical strength, you'll each do your best to clear a dungeon," he said

He said that the people who came in duos could attend as a pair. While the solos complained, they were silenced when the head advisor prepped a destructive spell. He told them, there were no written rules about not bringing a partner or two. With that, the first person was up.

"Now this dungeon isn't too challenging, just don't destroy the dungeon core or wander off course," he warned

Solos and duos cleared the dungeons at pretty fast speeds. To be allowed to exit you had to defeat at least thirty monsters though. Finally it was Lincoln and Cecile's turn.

"Good Luck," Ellie and Zayn said

The dungeon consisted of skeletons of all shapes and sizes. Some wore armor and wielded crude weapons while others fought bare handed… boned. Their bones were brittle and easy to deal with, it begged the question on what the dungeon boss was. A necromancer? A skeletal lord? While that peaked their interest they decided against investigating, the consequences of going against the instructors seemed pretty dire.

"I'm so hungry, I should've eaten more earlier" Cecile said as she finished off a skeleton

"We'll be out soon, just don't do anything too rash," Lincoln said

He was a little late with his warning as Cecile had made the executive decision to make a snack out of the skeleton bones. They snapped under the power of her teeth and made a sickly crunching noise with each bite. It was at this moment that Lincoln wondered if she was actually a human. Wrapping up their mission they walked out through a man made exit, the only other one being opened after the dungeon was completed. Soon everyone had stood outside waiting for their next instructions.

"Well done, you all show promise. Now onto the next segment, a scavenger hunt of sorts," one instructor said

While it was a scavenger hunt, it wasn't like a normal one. There were three collectibles, red flags, black flags, and one golden flag. Each flag was worth a certain amount of points and were found in different ranks of monsters. Red were easiest to acquire, worth one point, black flags were a little tougher, worth ten. The one golden flag was worth two-hundred points, but the monster it resided in was A-Rank.

"Now you may feel like you can but we highly advise you to not fight it, we are in no way responsible if you decide to throw away your lives," the instructor said

So once again they were sent off, deeper into the forest. The red flag monsters had been torn through by everyone. The black flag monsters required a lot more tactician and teamwork and the golden flag monster was nowhere to be seen. Lincoln and Cecile made quick more of everything in their path, their synergy was just about perfect.

"Ever since we've gotten here, we've thrown away opportunities to slay greater monsters," Cecile said annoyed

"We definitely couldn't finish the dungeon earlier and I'm not sure about fighting something classified as A-Rank," Lincoln said

"Oh come on, you know your strong. I think there's a good chance we can take it,"

They traversed the trees and on the ground continuously fighting while having their conversation. Lincoln thought about what she said, he wanted to believe he was strong enough. Cecile reminded him of the Broodmother, a horrifying foe, but he eventually came out on top. Lincoln sighed, she might be right. A loud roar broke Lincoln's focus and he looked in the direction it came from. North by north east, through the large grove of trees. Cecile had sprinted over and Lincoln followed behind. When they reached where the roar originated from they saw Ellie and Zayn fighting a giant snake-like monster. A structure made of stone sat in a pile of its former self, something dormant resided beneath it.

"Paralysis Fang Ranshanka… A-Rank Naga," Cecile said analyzing it

"It's venom is highly potent and deadly, it uses its large size to its advantage crushing it's opponent by coiling around them. Those two are in danger," Cecile warned

"We have to help them, c'mon," Lincoln urged

On the ground, Ellie and Zayn were being pushed into a corner. While Ellie casted spells to enhance Zayn's strength, it wouldn't last long. She was running out of mana and Zayn was running out of stamina.

"Dammit, this thing just had to snuck up on us," Ellie said trying to quell her fear

Zayn defended each of its tail swipes, but was being pushed backwards in the process. The Naga lunged forward with its mouth open wide, venom dripping from each of its fangs. Swooping in Lincoln blocked its attack while Cecile came and removed the two from the battle.

"Stay here, I gotta go help Lincoln," she warned

She left the two in a safe area and returned to Lincoln who had, in the time she was gone, had been bruised and bloodied to a great extent.

"Lincy, you have to get up," Leni urged on the verge of tears(?)

"What the hell?!," Cecile exclaimed

The Naga slammed its tail into Cecile and she put up her guard. The shockwave got through and she still felt pain. What was this… overwhelming sense of weakness? She coughed up blood after crashing through a tree behind her.

They both were sure they had grown stronger but a daunting enemy stood in their way. Lincoln sat against a tree, struggling to catch his breath. Was this his end? Images of his sisters ran through his mind, thinking about that made him seeth. What was he thinking, compared to back then, this was nothing. He stood up and felt something heavy in his chest.

"What's… what's happening?" Leni asked confused

She had changed forms, her blade grew longer and had ridges. She was sharper and had a black aura surrounding her, her branding moved up the center of her blade. Lincoln had to use both of his hands now. While this was happening, Cecile was in a similar situation.

Recovering from the attack, Cecile sat up and shook her head. Pain… pain everywhere, it hurts, it hurts. Her vision was blurry, that brought back memories. The years that she spent without her sight, those cold, dark days when she lost her parents. Lincoln, he was the light that broke through and gave her sight. He was fighting for everything he cared about and she had to do the same. She stood up and clenched her fists, her hair had finally been parted revealing her pair of pure white eyes.

"I won't die here, or ever," they both claimed

Faster, stronger, there would be more trials ahead. In a burst of energy both of them lunged at the Naga. It did the same, its mouth opened wide as they evaded it's fangs. It noticed and coiled its head back around, snapping its mouth shut.

It knocked its head against Cecile and she took the opportunity to latch onto its neck. She punched it and cracked its scales. Holding tight the Naga was losing speed. Lincoln had slashed at its large maw and slashed the bottom of its mouth. The Naga had slowed to a halt and soon the winner was made clear.

It collapsed alongside Lincoln and Cecile. It's head laid on the ground before their feet, with its body coiled around them. They took in large breaths of air before looking at each other and holding hands.

"Looks like we've gotten stronger," Cecile said

"Maybe just a bit," Lincoln said

* * *

"We're currently missing two duos, the Nanovin siblings and one Loud and Lumbridge," an instructor told their superior

The superior had been pressed for time and decided to simply pronounce them dead. It wasn't until they heard a call from the forest that they changed their mind. Ellie and and Zayn had carried the aforementioned children on their backs.

"We're here," Ellie announced

"Look at how bea up they are, guess they were in over their heads," a contestant had said

"You all seem a bit worse for wear, but since you are here we'll count your flags now," an instructor said

Ellie and and Zayn had laid out all of their collected flags, 257 points. This accomplishment was met with a few claps and some murmurs in the crowd. Next moving on to the children's flags. 100 red flags, 20 black flags… and a single golden flag. A total of 500 points, everyone fell silent, the golden flag that resided within Ranshanka was in possession of these two.

"O-outstanding work," the superior congratulated

The two smiled and held their fists in the air. A healer had been instructed to rid them of their wounds. Despite that intense battle both children seemed to be unharmed. The gashes in their clothing remained but all wounds had been closed off. There was a greater force keeping them alive.

"Curiouser and curiouser,"

There had been one more test that everyone had to take part in. While Lincoln and Cecile insisted they were well enough to compete they were told not to. If they wanted to fight something, for whatever reason, they could finish off the skeleton dungeon.

"I have to make a report back at the Guild, you'd be doing me a favor by closing it," a cloaked instructor said

Now that they were alone they could freely converse with Leni.

"Leni, that black aura form was amazing. How did you do that?" Lincoln asked

"I just did, it was like, whoosh and bang, y'know?" she said

"Creative but I still don't get it," Cecile said

They spoke about each other's sudden change. Soon they reached the skeleton dungeon. Just like they did before, they blasted through the skeletons, even easier this time. The dungeon boss was a large Lich King that sat on a throne of skulls. Noticing the challengers he stood up and grabbed his staff and a casted a spell

He chanted something and a portal had opened releasing more skeletons. An endless amount could be summoned if they didn't hurry. The skeletons skulls were destroyed quickly and soon the Lich was the only one left.

He slashed the Lich King's arm off and his staff fell to the ground. His eyes glowed a deep shade of purple and he chanted more spells. He was soon silenced by Cecile's foot connecting with his jaw, knocking it clean off. She brought down both fists and his head cracked under their might.

"I wonder if he has anything good," she said analyzing everything

It was strange to think these were the same people in a life or death battle less than an hour ago. Nonetheless Cecile found some interesting things, "Spellmeisters Staff, crafted from the wood of the World Tree," the orb that it holstered had immense magic energy.

"Lich King's Hellish Garb, Ring of Avarice, and Voyager's Travel Pack," Cecile said

The "Hellish Garb" provided decent defense and increased mobility while the Ring of Avarice only seemed useful to people who specialized in magic. The most useful thing here was the "Voyagers Travel Pack". It had been imbued with space magic and could hold a set amount of items, no matter the size as long as they weren't living things. They took their spoils and threw them into it.

Finished with their business they destroyed the dungeons core, which rested in the Lich's staff. On their way back to the rest of the group they passed the ruins again. This time though something was different, Lincoln saw his symbol glowing.

"Wait… but where?" Lincoln said hurriedly

He looked over at the Naga's corpse and past that, the stone ruins. He ran over and dug up the rubble, his heart pounded in expectation.

"Lincy, you feel it too?" Leni asked

"I'm sure of it, this Naga was guarding something," he said

Soon it came into view, in the destroyed ruins was what he had been fighting for. While he didn't cry this time, he had a relieved smile on his face. Cecile was able to figure out the rest. A small fighting staff rested in his hands, it was charcoal black with red lining its ends. In the center was the same symbol on Lincoln and Leni.

"Welcome back sis," Lincoln said

* * *

**:fanfare, I finally got around to finishing this. I wanted to make sure I could do it as best as possible. Now there is definitely room for improvement, please let me know in reviews.**


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